Closing buckles for flexible attachments



y 1962 E. KEHRER 3,036,352

CLOSING BUCKLES FOR FLEXIBLE ATTACHMENTS Filed Oct. 23, 1959 JNVENTOREDMOND KEH RER Mar/1) United States atent Cflice 3,036,352 CLOSINGBUCKLES FOR FLEXBLE ATTACIMENTS Edmond Kehrer, 9 Jardinets, LaChaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland Filed Oct. 23, 1959, er. No. 848,369 Claimspriority, application Switzerland Oct. 31, 1958 1 Claim. c1. 24 17s) Thepresent invention has for its object a closing buckle for flexibleattachment, particularly for a watch bracelet, comprising a frame in thecentral part of which is hinged a tongue, of which the end is adapted tobear against one of the transverse sides of the frame.

Closure buckles of the type indicated above are already known and areused particularly for belts. However, in the case of these knownbuckles, one of the ends of the flexible attachment of which it formspart, is hooked directly to the transverse side of the frame of thebuckle opposed to that against which the tongue bears. For this reason,this side of the frame is hidden by the end of the attachment and theframe is no longer visible completely. For this reason the aestheticaspect of the closing buckle has disappeared, which is very prejudicialin the case of the application of the closing buckle of this type to awatch or to a lace closure of elegant shoes.

The closing buckle according to the invention has for its object toremedy this disadvantage. It is characterized by the fact that itcomprises a hinge bar for the attachment of one of the limbs of thebracelet, this bar being disposed in proximity to the transverse side ofthe frame opposite that against which the tongue bears, a suflicientspace remaining between the transverse side of the frame and the axis ofthe tongue so as to permit of introducing into the same, the free end ofthe other end of the bracelet band so as to cover it underneath theclosed bracelet.

One form of construction of the closing buckle according to theinvention is illustrated, diagrammatically and by way of example in theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a buckle not provided with the lacelimbs forming the attachment.

FIG. 2 is a side view, partly broken away, of the closing buckle showingthe flexible attachment of which it forms part in the closed position.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to the preceding one, showing the buckle in thecourse of its closing or opening phase.

This closing buckle for flexible attachment, particularly for a watchbracelet, comprises a frame 1 formed by two vertically slightly archedlongitudinal sides 2 and a transverse flat, narrow, horizontal end wall3 and a transverse flat horizontal end wall 4, both of which are flushwith the upper edges of the sides 2-2. In the central portion of theframe 1 is hinged a tongue 5 of which the end is adapted to bear againstthe transverse side 4 of the frame 1, in a recess 6 provided for thispurpose in the transverse side 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the tongue 5 iscarried by a plate 7 hinged by its edge 8 to medial portions of thesides 2-2 of the frame 1. The edge 8 is opposite the edge from which thetongue 5 projects. In fact, the rear corners of the edge 8 of this plate7 has extensions 9 forming a trunnion, which are engaged in blind holes10 provided in the longitudinal sides 2 of the frame 1. These blindholes 10 are displaced towards the interior of the bracelet at thelongitudinal sides 2 of the frame 1, in such a manner that the hingeaxis of the plate 7 is displaced towards the wrist carrying thebracelet, in such a manner as to permit of the eflacement of the freeend of the limb 11 of the flexible bracelet band 12 in the thickness ofthe frame 1.

As will be seen in the drawing, the other end of the flexible band 12 ishooked to a hinge bar 13 disposed in proximity to the transverse side 3of the frame 1 opposed to that against which the tongue 4 bears. In theexample shown, said bar 13 is disposed on the outside of the transversesides 3 and 4 of the frame 1, on extensions 14 of the longitudinal sides2 of the frame. Preferably this bar 13 is of the removable type, topermit of an easy replacement of the bracelet 12, after wear thereof.

It is advantageous to form ribs 15 on the plate 7, in view of itsreinforcement.

The utilization of a closing buckle such as that described above withreference to the drawing, is effected in the following manner:

After having wound the bracelet -12 around the wrist, it suflices toengage the free end or limb 11 of this bracelet 12 under the transverseside 4 of the frame 1, in the usual manner and to retain this end 11 inengagement with the tongue 5 in a hole 16 of this bracelet, at thedesired size. Then, the end of the limb 11 is slid into the sufficientspace remaining between the transverse side 3 of the frame 1 and theaxis of the tongue 5 itself constituted by the edge 8 of the plate 7. Inthe case of the application of this closing loop to a bracelet, thisengagement of the free end of the limb 11 of the bracelet 12 is renderedparticularly easy by reason of the presence of a recess in the lowerface of the wrists of the majority of persons. Once the limb 11 hasengaged completely under the transverse side 3 and the corresponding endof the bracelet 12, the said limb disappears into the thickness of theframe 1 and particularly into the thickness of the longitudinal side 2of the frame, as shown in FIG. 2.

Such a closing loop thus permits of extra flat realization of a braceletclosure. However, it will be understood that the advantages of such aclosing buckle may be found in any other field of application,particularly in the field of belts or laces for elegant shoes.

Numerous modifications of this closing buckle may be contemplated,according to the application for which they are adapted. Thus, in thecase of a belt, it is not absolutely necessary to provide longitudinalsides 2 of arcuate shape. These may equally well be rectilinear. Asregards the transverse sides 3 and 4, they may have any imaginabledecorative shapes. Thus, it is possible to dispose the bar 13 under thetransverse side 3, so that this covers the corresponding end of thebracelet 12. However, when it is desired to have an extra flatconstruction of the closing buckle, it is advantageous to displace theaxis of the bar 13 towards the outer face of the bracelet, in such amanner as to facilitate the engagement of the free limb 11 under the endof the bracelet 12 hooked to the bar 13.

As regards the plate 7, this is not absolutely indispensable and may bereplaced by an ordinary simple hinge axis. However, its presence isadvantageous, on the one hand, to permit of diminishing to the greatestextent, the thickness of the hinge axis of the tongue 5 and, on theother hand, for serving to guide the free limb 11 of the bracelet 12.

Another advantage of the closing loop described above resides in thefact that it permits of the suppression of the necessary fixed loops ofall the belts or bracelets of usual manufacture, from which results anincreased durability of the flexible attachment. In fact, particularlyin a leather bracelet, the first slide is sewn. For this reason, theintroduction of the free limb of the attachment in the slide, not onlydamages this but also the bracelet.

I claim:

In a buckle for watch brackets, the combination comprising,

a flexible band,

an integrated frame including opposite parallel vertical 2 angularly andhorizontally disposed narrow and wide end walls haying flat facesdisposed flush with the plane of the said outer edge portions of thelongitudinally disposed interconnected side Walls,

said horizontally disposed wide end wall having a medially disposedrecess,

said narrow end wall spaced inwardly of the related terminal portions ofthe side walls,

a bracelet band hinge bar having its ends secured to the side wallsbetween and below the terminal portions thereof and below the narrow endwall,

and also having One end of said flexible band looped thereabout adjacentsaid end wall, whereby,

said hinge bar is concealed but exposing said narrow end wall, 7

and a plate having one edge pivoted at opposite corners to the sidewalls adjacent their lower edges between the wide and narrow horizontalend walls,

and a tongue extending angularly upwardly and outwardly from the edgeof'the plate opposite the hinged edge to provide a free extremity to fitin said recess, and

whereby, when the bracelet is in use and the lead end of said band isfitted beneath the wide horizontal end wall, its free end afterengagement with said tongue will pass under the narrow horizontal endwall beneath the band material on the hinge bar to expose only thenarrow end wall, the edges of the side walls, and the end portion of thetongue lying in said recess.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS587,025 Don Vital July 27, 1897 1,616,195 Morse Feb. 1, 1927 2,443,305Segal June 22, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OFCORRECTION Patent No, 3,036,352 May 29, 1962 Edmond Kehrer It is herebycertified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiringcorrectio and that the said Letters Patent should read as correctedbelow.

Column 2, line 67, for "brackets" read bracelets Signed and sealed this11th day of September 1962.

(SEAL) Attest:

ERNEST W. SWIDER DAVID L. LADD Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents

